U.S. Pat. No. 5,657,008 discloses an electronic motor vehicle license plate which stores a vehicle identification number. The vehicle identification number is used for checking whether the electronic motor vehicle license plate actually belongs to the motor vehicle to which it is fitted.
WO 2007/137555 A2 discloses an electronically configurable motor vehicle license plate with a display. In order to configure the motor vehicle license plate, data are compiled and encrypted in an external configuration unit. The encrypted data are transmitted as infrared signals by an infrared transmitter integrated in the configuration unit. The display electronics for the motor vehicle license plate are used to decrypt the signals, for which purpose appropriate decryption software is stored in the display electronics.
US 2007/0285361 A1 discloses a system for wireless electronic motor vehicle license plates. Data can be input into the electronic motor vehicle license plate only by persons who are authorized to do so, specifically using a secret code.
The patent application DE 102008042259.2 (BUND.208.12 DE), without prior publication at the time of filing, from the same applicant discloses a motor vehicle electronics appliance which is designed to receive data from an ID token and to actuate a motor vehicle display apparatus to display said data. Further motor vehicle display apparatuses are known from the patent applications BUND.208.14de and BUND.208.12 de (official file numbers: DE 102008043123.0 and DE 102008042259.2), likewise without prior publication at the time of filing, from the same applicant.